LESLIE JONES IS A VICTIM OF HATE AND RACISM – AGAIN

It’s only been over one month since Leslie Jones was bullied online and deactivated her Twitter account, albeit temporarily – but the actress has once again become a victim of racism and hate.

The actress/comedian took her personal site offline on Wednesday after hackers posted explicit photos of Leslie. They also inserted videos of the deceased Cincinnati Zoo gorilla Harambe alongside images of Leslie posing with other celebrities, including Rihanna, Kanye West and Kim Kardashian.

While Leslie and her spokesperson haven’t released a statement, several celebrities have raised their support for the Ghostbusters star on social media:

STEP ASIDE IRON MAN, IT’S IRONHEART’S MOMENT

15 year old tech genius #RiriWilliams will star in Invincible Iron Man series as #IronHeart. Can’t wait to read it pic.twitter.com/jcUskgsXYZ

— ComicBook Debate (@ComicBookDebate) August 22, 2016

Tony Stark is passing on the torch in the comic world to Riri Williams. Riri, who will be known as Ironheart, is a science genius who builds her own version of the Iron Man suit in her dorm room.

In an interview with Wired magazine, writer Brian Michael Bendis said that the name was decided after a group discussion with the editors. “Ironheart was a perfect fit as it speaks to the soul of the character and the franchise,” Brian explained. “Tony first put on the armour to save his heart. Riri puts it on for different reasons altogether, but it’s still heart-related.”

The 15-year-old tech genius will star in the Invincible Iron Man comic book series. We just have two questions:

1. May we please have her hair? #AfroEnvy
2. When is the movie coming out already?

 JAY ANSTEY AND JONATHAN BOYNTON-LEE SPLIT UP  

(Image: Instagram/@jayanstey)

SA golden couple Jay Anstey and Jonathan Boyton-Lee have ended their 14-month relationship.

According to ZAlebs, it was conflicting schedules that caused the Top Billing presenter to end the relationship. The pair met on Top Billing when Jonathan interviewed Jay, and grew closer after the passing of their mutual friend, Simba Mhere. Ever since then, they’ve been inseparable and were even nominated as couple of the year at the recent You Spectacular Awards.

We hope they find love again.    

MTV AFRICAN MUSIC AWARDS TO BE HELD IN JOHANNESBURG

MTV Base has announced that the 2016 MTV African Music Awards will be held at the Ticketpro Dome in North Riding in Jozi on October 22. We’re super excited to see who this year’s host will be, especially as the last two years have seen international stars, Anthony Anderson and Marlon Wayans, take the reins.

Here’s hoping they’ve chosen an African celeb to run things.  

AMANDA DU-PONT COLLABORATES WITH SPRAYGROUND

 

Amanda du-Pont x Sprayground Camo Drip back pack is now sold out globally with only less than 100 available in South Africa @spraygroundza for online sale details or purchase @xtrendstore or @crosstrainersa

 

A photo posted by Amanda du-Pont (@amandadupont) on Aug 23, 2016 at 2:50am PDT

She’s just released her own show collection, and now Amanda du-Pont has stepped into another great collaboration with backpack brand, Sprayground.

The actress and the brand designed a new backpack called the Camo Drip, which is said to be inspired by the City of Gold.

Amanda had this to say: “I am delighted and blessed to be the first to collaborate with Sprayground locally. Street style is definitely a big influence in my personal style. And nothing is fresher than a signature backpack.”

The Camo Drip is available at Sprayground.co.za for R1 299.

BRITNEY’S CARPOOL KARAOKE SNEAK PEEK

We have been waiting not-so patiently for this particular carpool karaoke guest, and now we get a preview of what to expect when Britney Spears hops in James Corden’s passenger seat.

The cute teaser shows James and Britney singing bits of her 2003 hit Toxic, but it was the bit where James expresses his concern for Britney’s kids seeing their mom in her underwear that had us laughing.

Britney’s full segment is set to air on Thursday August 25 on The Late Late Show, just a day before her new album, Glory, releases on Friday.

Watch the vid below:

SA’s Queen of DIY celebrated the milestone of hitting 100 000 subscribers on YouTube with yet another fun and interesting new video, showing viewers how to make their own piñata.

We asked the starlet some fun questions:

1. What would you like women to take from your show for Women’s Month?
I hope that everyone has a good laugh and learns a few useful tips and tricks that will make their lives a little more creative.

2. DIY is normally a guy’s thing – you have clearly busted that myth. Why is it important for ladies to know how to do things themselves?
Because anybody can! I love DIY because it is fun and very creative, and accomplishing a project or a hack gives me a great feeling of achievement. The more you “do it yourself”, the more you learn to see problems as challenges with solutions – not as impossible. It’s also great for self-confidence.

3. We currently love the DIY leopard-print bread. What is your fave how-to?
I love all my hacks, but some of my favourites are “How To Peel a Lot of Apples”, “How to Make a Loadshedding Survival Kit”, “How to Make a Braai Pie” and “How to Dolly Your Trolley”.

4. Describe Suzelle’s fashion style in three words.
Colourful, creative, fearless!

5. Do you put a lot of thought into your wardrobe?
I think of my wardrobe as an artist’s pallet and each outfit as an artwork. I’ve colour-coded my wardrobe, which has made putting together outfits easier and more fun! I’m always looking for new exciting clothing. Sometimes Marianne comes shopping with me – she has a very good eye.

6. Who is your fashion icon?
I don’t know if I have a fashion icon, but I do love 50s and 60s fashion. At the moment, I do love how daring and fun Katy Perry is with her fashion.

7. Who is your current celeb crush?
I’m still in love with Jan Hendrik! He’s the first South African chef to win a Michelin Star for his restaurant in France. You can watch me crush on him in my video “How to Make a Banana & Salted Caramel Popcorn Smoothie”. He’s very dreamy.

8. Your ultimate vacation destination is…
I’d love to go to Japan to see the cherry tree blossoms or to Spain to taste real paella.

9. If You could have one superhero power, it would be…
I’d love to be able to fly.

10. Can you share one quick and fun DIY with us?
A quick way to get the annoying little bobbles off your jerseys is to shave them off with a razor!

Catch Suzelle DIY’s “Viewer’s Choice Top 10 Shows”on Monday 29 August at 9pm, Comedy Central, DStv Channel 122.

The iconic trumpeter Hugh Masekela and Mi Casa’s frontman J’Something went through a collaborative journey to produce the song for the Mercedes-Benz “Find Your Best” series.

The song, Heaven In You, is inspired by South Africa’s rich heritage. J’Something spoke to us exclusively about his experience throughout the journey:

What was it like collaborating with SA’s musical icon, Hugh Masekela?

It was one of the most impactful and meaningful moments of my life. No words could justify the moment, but what I can say is that I have never learnt so much from someone so in line with what I do.

What does SA’s heritage mean to you?

Automatically, when I hear the word heritage I think preserve. Heritages are foundations that build our beings. For me, it’s a great inheritance that we received from our forefathers. It’s the stories that make you proud. It’s the songs that make you feel warm.

More specifically, SA’s heritage to me is so vast and beautiful because every culture within SA has its own heritage. Bra Hugh is very passionate about preserving SA heritage and he opened up my eyes to a lot of things around our shared inheritance. We’re going to be working together on a few projects that will aim to remind the youth of the important things. Our heritage is what makes us unique.

The creation of Heaven In You had you and Hugh draw inspiration from each other. How does Hugh inspire you?

He inspires me so much, and in so many different ways. There isn’t a human being that wouldn’t be inspired, trust me.

When you and Hugh received the challenge, you remarked, “Easy peasy.” Did you really think it would be easy, or were there some nerves involved?

It was – God has blessed me with the ability to tell a story through song, plus a song inspired by SA is easy!

Did you ever think you would go on a road trip with Hugh?

Nope.

Give Heaven In You a listen here:

Sometimes it gets a bit crazy trying to keep up with all the breaking news and hot celeb news that is released. So, in case you missed out, here are the biggest moments you need to know about today:

BRITNEY SPEARS GIVES US GLORY

It’s here!!! #GloryOutNow https://t.co/UR1JOfwyY0 pic.twitter.com/S50wtEwvaP

— Britney Spears (@britneyspears) August 26, 2016

It is finally here! Britney Spears’s ninth studio album, Glory, dropped on Thursday evening.   The 35-year-old Toxic hitmaker announced the album’s release on Twitter, stating that it is the “beginning of a new era”.   The album is available on Spotify.  

BRITNEY’S CARPOOL KARAOKE IS FUN!

Finally we get to see Britney Spears feature in the famed Carpool Karaoke segment of The Late Late Show with James Corden. James Corden and the mega star, who is also this week’s Grazia cover girl, did not disappoint – the clip shows the duo belting out her hits, harmonising perfectly. Their chemistry was undeniable, and when they weren’t singing, they were making us laugh. Watch the video below:

#GoGetYourGrazia to read about the singer’s comeback and so much more.  

AUSTRALIAN ACTRESS TO PLAY BRITNEY SPEARS IN BIOPIC

The rollercoaster life of pop icon Britney Spears will be turned into a television biopic. According to Lifetime, Britney will be a two-hour film about her life and will be released next year. Australian actress Natasha Bassett will be playing Britney in the movie. We can’t wait to see it!  

JENNIFER LOPEZ AND CASPER SMART SPLIT UP – AGAIN

(Image: Instagram/@beaucaspersmart)

Jennifer Lopez and dancer boyfriend Casper Smart have split up. The couple started dating in 2011, went through a brief separation in 2014, and have been together since reuniting. A source told People magazine that the couple haven’t been together for a few weeks. “It wasn’t anything dramatic and they were on good terms – it just came to a natural end,” says the source. It is also confirmed that the 47-year-old singer and the 29-year-old dancer will remain friends.  

KLEPTO KIMMY

You’d think that with all the money in the world, Kim Kardashian would never resort to stealing, right? Wrong! Kim recently shared on her blog that she has a little fetish for hotel robes and can’t help but nick one or two from resorts. “One of my fave things about staying in hotels is the big, fluffy white robes they put in the rooms. I’ll even admit that sometimes I take the robes from my fave accommodations, like The Atlantis in Dubai.” Well, we can’t say we blame her really – robes are definitely one of our favourite things about hotels too, and when they’re as soft as the ones at the Atlantis, who can resist? Clearly Kim can’t.  

THE FAMOUS RED CAT SUIT: WHO WORE IT BETTER?

Remember that red cat suit Britney Spears wore in the video for Oops I Did It Again? Well, get ready to see it again – but not on Britney… The star teams up with 58-year-old Kevin Bacon in a new and funny one-minute long advert. Kevin is seen dancing to the singer’s hit classic wearing the cat suit, which Britney clearly disapproves of, judging by the look on her face.

We love the silliness of it all! But we have to ask: who wore it better? Britney or Kevin?

Stay tuned for the clip.  

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO BLAKE LIVELY  

Yesterday was Blake Lively’s birthday and husband Ryan Reynolds sent her probably one of the most unromantic but hilarious birthday tweets of all time. “Just want to wish Billy Ray Cyrus the most special, magical birthday ever. I love you with all my heart. Also, Happy Birthday to my wife,” he wrote. The actress who turned 29 shares her birthday with the 55-year-old Country singer.

Just want to wish Billy Ray Cyrus the most special, magical birthday ever. I love you with all my heart. Also, Happy Birthday to my wife.

— Ryan Reynolds (@VancityReynolds) August 25, 2016

Sometimes our busy weekend schedules do not allow for a catch up on the latest news and hot topics, but no fear, we have got you covered. Here is what you may have missed:

BRITNEY SPEARS’ AWKWARD CARPOOL KARAOKE

It seems Britney Spears didn’t enjoy her stint on The Late Late Show with James Corden’s carpool karaoke segment…

The 34-year-old singer claimed that she was uncomfortable with the song choice and found it strange to sing along to her own tunes in the car while people wandered by.

“Well, he controlled the whole thing, and sometimes I got onto him and said, ‘I don’t want to hear that song again.’ They didn’t show that part,” said the singer on 103.5 KTU’s Cubby and Carolina In the Morning radio show.

“It was a little awkward, like, driving by grocery stores. People walk by and there are like 18 cameras around us. This is just so awkward.”

Though the star expressed her discomfort, she added that she did have fun with the host. “Carpool karaoke was really fun. The guy was just so incredibly sweet. I had no idea he has kids, he’s a teddy bear. I was like, ‘I just want to hug you right now.’”

FANS DEFEND BABES WODUMO

On Friday morning, Babes Wodumo became Twitter’s hottest topic after she apparently could not answer a question related to South African Minister of Finance Pravin Gordhan during a radio interview.

While she received a storm of criticism at first, her fans quickly came to the gqom artist’s defence, asking the Twitterverse if Pravin even knows who Babes is.

Well, if you are not in politics, then you can’t be expected to know everything and everyone, right?

THE MTV VMAS 2016 DECODED

The MTV VMAs never go without something interesting happening, and this year we have a handful of memorable moments:

1. Beyoncé rules the VMAS

Once again, Beyoncé made her VMA show a memorable one by giving a 16-minute-long performance featuring hits from her wildly popular album Lemonade. The singer sang hits such as Pray You Catch Me, Hold Up, Sorry and Formation.

And besides an incredible performance, she was also the top nominee of the night with 11 nods, of which she won three: the Video of the Year award, Best Female Video Award and Breakthrough Long-form Video Award.

2. Rihanna receives the Vanguard Award

As this year’s recipient of the Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award, Rihanna kicked off the VMAs by performing a medley of her biggest hits. The songstress split the rest of her performances throughout the evening, singing songs such as We Found Love and Where Have You Been.

She then gave a touching speech after receiving a heartfelt intro from friend and rumoured fling Drake. The star thanked MTV, Jay Z, her childhood friends and others for her successful journey, and she thanked Drake for his amazing speech.

3. Drake confesses his love for RiRi

Like we just said, Drizzy gave Rihanna quite the intro when presenting the Vanguard award to her. The rapper, who no one expected to make the awards due to bad traffic, gushed about how much he respected Rihanna and looked up to her. He then made everyone blush after he said that he has been in love with the Work singer since he was 22. When they shared their intimate hug, we think it looked like Drake was leaning in for a kiss…

4. Kanye West doesn’t disappoint

Kanye West was reportedly given four minutes’ airtime to introduce his new music video, Fade. In true Kanye fashion, the rapper didn’t use that time to talk about his new video – he used it to go on a rant about his infamous video for Famous.

He began by explaining how the video that featured 12 celebs lying naked on one bed was a metaphor about music and society. Though what he said was interesting, it was his jab at Taylor Swift that made the night. “I love you all,” he said, referring to all the celebs featured in the video, “that’s why I called her.”

Never a dull moment when Yeezy is on stage…

 The Neighbourgoods Night Market is turning four on the September 1, and they’re doing it in style.

To celebrate, Neighbourgoods – in collaboration between Red Bull Music academy Weekender, a MAZE Festival and Kalashnikovv Gallery – is revamping its image and market space to offer a fresh, cultural and artistic First Thursday.

So if you’re keen on good food, fashion and entertainment, make sure you’re first in line. Here are the deets:

Date: Thursday, September 1 2016

Venue: Neighbourgoods Market, 73 Juta Street, Braamfontein

Time: 7pm to 12am

Entrance: Market is free, while the upstairs entertainment is R50. All ages welcome.

This is a night for us all to be thankful for what you have done for us! You have affected so many of our lives in the best way possible. Tonight we celebrate you! @badgalriri

A photo posted by champagnepapi (@champagnepapi) on Aug 28, 2016 at 11:41pm PDT

After the touching intro that Drake gave Rihanna when he presented her with the Michael Jackson Vanguard Award at the VMAs (see it here), it became quite apparent that Drizzy has nothing but love for the singer. Though we found it adorable, the rapper’s latest move made us cringe inside. Drake took to Instagram to post a pic of himself and RiRi looking all cosy and “coupley”.

Given that the love seems to be coming from Drake’s side only, we cannot help but ask: Are they really dating, or is Drake just kinda obsessed with Rihanna?

(Image: Getty Images)

We just had to pick our favourite look from the annual VMAs: Nicki Minaj, as she’s giving us all kinds of class with this sleek and elegant ensemble. From her hair right down to the colour choice, this is definitely one of her best looks to date.

Though the star couldn’t walk in it, we think it was worth it!

A photo posted by Nicki Minaj (@nickiminaj) on Aug 28, 2016 at 7:55pm PDT

Sometimes keeping up with with current news and hot stories is difficult during these busy times. Fortunately we have a round up of what you may have missed:

GENE WILDER DIES AT AGE 83

(Image: Instagram)

Gene Wilder passed away late on Sunday evening at his home in Stamford, Connecticut, at the age of 83. According to Gene’s nephew, the actor died of complications from Alzheimer’s, the disease he has been secretly battling for three years.

The actor is well known for his roles in popular movies like Charlie And The Chocolate Factory, Blazing Saddles and Woody Allen’s Everything You Wanted To Know About Sex.

Many celebs took to social media to pay tribute to the actor:

He is survived by his wife, Karen, whom he married in 1991, and his daughter from a previous marriage, Katherine, from whom he was estranged.

RIP Gene Wilder.

KANYE WEST FAMOUS EXHIBITION HELD AT SECRET LOCATION

We all know that Kanye West’s Famous video (pun intended) caused quite the stir – and now the naked wax figurines featured in the video are on display in real life in a “secret” art gallery in LA.

Famous Exhibit at Blum & Poe Art Gallery

A photo posted by Kim Kardashian West (@kimkardashian) on Aug 27, 2016 at 9:49pm PDT

Kim Kardashian went to the show to support her hubby and brought along younger sister Kendall Jenner. And where was the genius behind the concept? Well Kanye was there too, but in the form of a video robot.

Very Kanye.

BONANG TO HOST SUPER MEGA SHOW

The Super Mega, featuring AKA, Da Les, Kwetsa, Yanga and JR will be heading to Shimmy Beach Club in Cape Town on Saturday September 17.

And guess who the host is? Our one and only Queen B. Bonang Matheba tweeted her bae’s event artwork and captioned it, “I’ll be the host. Can’t wait.”

This pair is taking #CoupleGoals to another level.

JUSTIN BIEBER TRENDS ON TWITTER

Justin Bieber has trended on Twitter, and not in a good way. Here is a breakdown:

1. Justin posted selfies with rumoured GF Sofia Richie.
2. Fans hated, and Justin responded by threatening to make his Instagram account private if they don’t treat the girl he “likes” with respect.
3. Ex Selena Gomez got involved by commenting on the relationship on Instagram.
4. The two squabbled and accused each other of cheating.
5. Justin de-activated his Instagram account.
6. Selena apologised for the way she acted in the situation.
7. Justin re-activated his Instagram account, and soon after unfollowed both Selena and his other ex, Hailey Baldwin.
8. Sofia and The Biebs celebrated the model’s 18^th birthday in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico.
9. Raunchy photographs of Justin locked in a series of steamy embraces with Sofia were leaked.
10. The Twitterverse was not happy about the photos, making the hashtag #JustinsSexTapeLeakedParty trend.

RUBY ROSE AND HARLEY GUSMAN BREAK UP

Ruby Rose and Harley Gusman have split after dating for about two months. Pics of the couple were all over social media, and they even attended Taylor Swift’s Fourth of July celebration together, but they have decided to end their relationship due to conflicting schedules.

“They are no longer dating,” shared a source with E! News. “Ruby is shooting until the end of the year out of the country and focusing on her career.”

Given that neither of them has deleted their loved-up snaps on social media, it’s safe to assume they separated on good terms…

Sometimes keeping up with with current news and hot stories is difficult, here is a round up of what you may have missed:

ANOTHER DAY, ANOTHER BREEZY SCANDAL

The Los Angeles Police department is investigating Chris Brown once again after a woman, who has now been identified as Baylee Curran, called 911 claiming that the Grass Aint Greener singer threatened her with a gun.

While the LAPD was outside his house, Breezy took to his Instagram and posted several now-deleted videos with him swearing and claiming that all these allegations were false. He went on to say: “I am a father. I am one of the best entertainers out here, and without bragging and saying woe is me I don’t get enough credit… So at the end of the day I’m tired of this shit. I’m up at 6, 7 something in the morning, talking this shit for something I didn’t do. How would you feel? F*ck this fame shit.”

Chris Brown was later arrested and has now been released on $250 000 (R3.6 million) bail. “Thanks to everyone for their support and well wishes,” Brown’s attorney, Mark Geragos, tweeted. “Chris is out and well. The allegations against him are demonstrably false #TeamBreezy.” Celebrity friends such as Ray J and Bruno took to social media to show support the star.

Real friends!!!!! The world will see!!! TRUST ME

A video posted by 1 YOU ❤️ 2 HATE (@chrisbrownofficial) on Aug 31, 2016 at 1:15am PDT

Prayin for ya @chrisbrown we need ya.

— Bruno Mars (@BrunoMars) August 31, 2016

Stay tuned for more updates as the story progresses.

AKA HEADS TO MABALA NOISE

AKA is allegdly planing to part ways with his long-time record label Vth Season. According to The Daily Sun, “multiple sources” have cofirmed that the rapper has been in talks with record label Mabala Noise and is set to sign a contract with them by the end of the week.

“It is a verbal agreement right now,” says the source. “He should be signing towards the end of the week.”

While the source was described as “reliable”, AKA sent out a statement denying the news.

“There is no comment from me because there is no truth in it. That is news to me, hey. I actiually wish I was signed with them,” said AKA.

Vth Season boss Raphael Benza also denied the rumours.

Is it just a rumour, or will the end of the week reveal all?

IGGY AZELEA AND FRENCH MONTANA GET COZY

Iggy Azalea and French Montana spent a weekend getaway in Cabo – and judging from their Instagram posts they are definitely dating.

The two rappers spent the weekend with friends, swimming, tanning and canoodling aboard a yacht. The duo was also spotted making out more than once, according to the Daily Mail.

Make it official, guys!

SELENA GOMEZ TAKES A BREAK

In an interview with People magazine, Selena Gomez has announced that she will be taking a break from the spotlight to focus on her health.

“As many of you know, around a year ago I revealed that I have lupus, an illness that can affect people in different ways,” the 24-year-old said. “I’ve discovered that anxiety, panic attacks and depression can be side effects of lupus, which can present their own challenges.”

The singer, who recently wrapped up her Rivival tour, also added her plans moving forward:

“I want to be proactive and focus on maintaining my health and happiness and have decided that the best way forward is to take some time off. Thank you to all my fans for your support. You know how special you are to me, but I need to face this head on to ensure I am doing everything possible to be my best. I know I am not alone by sharing this, I hope others will be encouraged to address their own issues.”

We hope she finds this happiness and health!

GOODLUCK RELEASE FIND ME IN THE FOREST

Following their chart-topping single Thinking About You, GoodLuck – one of South Africa’s most popular electronic music groups – has released a brand new single, Find Me In The Forest. “This is the third single off our new album, which will be released in October.

“We’ve pushed ourselves outside of our comfort zone with this latest song and I guess you could say that it is one of the edgiest tracks we’ve ever released. Lyrically, it’s inspired by all our travels abroad and getting a sense that you are floating from city to city and feeling very disconnected from home,” said the band.

Have a listen here.

Keep up with them via the following social media platforms:

Twitter: https://twitter.com/Goodlucklive

Facebook: on.fb.me/1RoLNdq

Official website: http://goodlucklive.com/

Instagram: @goodlucklive

WAYDE UNION ANNIVERSARY

Congratulations to Dwayne Wayde and Gabriel Union who celebrate their first wedding anniversary today. The Being Mary Jane starlet took to her Instagram to show her husband some love. How cute are they? Check out some of our fave pics where the pair gave us serious couple fomo.

(Images: Instagram)

MEET YOUR IDOLS TOP 16

For the last six weeks, Randall Abrahams, Gareth Cliff, Unathi Msengana and Somizi “Somgaga” Mhlongo have travelled across SA with the hopes of finding South Africa’s next superstar. If you haven’t been keeping up with all the musical drama, then shame on you, because the judges have found their top 16 idols for 2016!

Tune in every Sunday to vote for your favourite contestant.

1. Amanda Kunene, 22, Durban North

2. Valentine Mathe, 20, Mamelodi

3. Lucia Jakeni, 26, Everton North

4. Luke Ntombela, 27, KwaZulu-Natal

5. Lusanda Beja, 25, Cape Town

6. Noma Khumalo, 25, Pietermaritzburg

7. Nosihe Zulu, 28, Pietermaritzburg

8. Sanele Mkhize, 21, KwaZulu-Natal

9. Sgherdeed, 28, Boksburg

10. Siyakha Tshayela, 23, East Rand

11. Tebogo Louw, 24, Stellenbosch

12. Terra Cox, 28, Alberton

13. Thami Shobede, 28, KwaZulu-Natal

14. Thamsanqa Mathonsi, 20, Durban

15. Bevin Samuels, 19, Port Elizabeth

16. Keegan Martin, 23, Gauteng 

(Images: DSTV.com/idols-sa)

Mugg & Bean is hosting its annual Cupcakes 4 Kids with Cancer initiative on September 1.

The initiative is in support of the Cupcakes of Hope association, which aims to create and raise awareness around children with cancer, informing people of the early warning signs associated with the disease, and raising funds for families in need of medical assistance.

Mugg & Bean has been a proud supporter of Cupcake for Kids with Cancer since 2011, “Each of our 190 restaurants nationwide will donate all proceeds generated from the cupcake sales to raise funds that will help pay for expensive treatments, and assist in improving the general well-being of the affected families,” says Lee-ann Cullingworth, marketing executive for Mugg & Bean.

We spoke to Lee-ann to find out more about the initiative:

How did the annual Mugg & Bean Cupcakes 4 Kids with Cancer initiative come to be?

Cupcakes 4 Kids with Cancer is an initiative that helps change the lives of children living with cancer through their love of baking. Mugg & Bean shares this love for baking, and with our shared passion a relationship was born that makes a difference with the proceeds of every single cupcake sold in a Mugg & Bean being donated to this cause.

What personal meaning does this initiative and month hold for you?

This initiative has so much love and meaning behind it from every single cupcake that has been made to every Mugg & Bean restaurant that gets involved; it truly is a special month where we are united to raise money for children with cancer and raise awareness around early detection that can ultimately save lives.

The initiative will kick off on International Cupcake for Breakfast Day on Thursday September 1, at the start of International Childhood Cancer Awareness month.

To support Cupcakes 4 Kids with Cancer, enjoy your lemon meringue cupcake #CupcakeForMyHero, upload your picture of support, wear your gold ribbon and spread the generosity by donating to the cause.

Show further support by uploading a picture that displays their cancer hero’s name written on one hand and a cupcake in the other, also using the hashtag #CupcakeForMyHero

Grazia ladies: Denise Khoele, Marishka Denicker, Tasmin Jacobs

This week marked the end of women’s month and as one last tribute, the Grazia team decided to share which women – besides their mothers, of course – inspire them:

“Hannah Bronfman is my fitspo/outfitspo/lifespo, basically everything-inspo! I have never met her but from what I’ve seen on social media, she is a powerful, strong woman who has made the most of her passions. She’s a beauty app mogul, businesswoman, fitness model, blogger extraordinaire and DJ. Her posts give me life and inspire me to push for my dreams.”

-Denise Khoele, Grazia designer

“Iris Apfel. She just turned 95 and is still loving life, plus she’s a style icon to boot. I hope I look as fabulous and have as much energy at 95.”

-Marishka Denicker, Grazia fashion editor 

“I admire Vera Wang – and not just because I love her wedding gowns – but because she started off as a figure skater and is now designing gowns for A-listers. It just shows that with the right amount of determination and tenacity that you can be anything you want to be –  even if you start at 40!”

-Tasmin Jacobs, Grazia beauty intern

To all the women of the world, #WeSaluteYou!

With love,

Grazia x Foschini

Alicia Keys has always had our hearts, but now we’re crushing even more on the singer after her inspiring speech and a Capella performance at the annual VMAs. We also love how she handled herself when she was criticised for appearing at the awards ceremony sans make-up.

We don’t believe that not wearing make-up is something that should be celebrated because it shouldn’t matter, right? But one thing’s for sure, Alicia knows how to pull off the natural look!

Before you begin your weekend splendours, here are a few hot stories you may have missed:

RECORD-BREAKING NEWS FOR J-BIEBS

With all the girlfriend drama that has been following Justin Bieber for the last couple of weeks, we think it’s about time he got some good news. The 22-year-old star sung his way into the Guinness World Records 2017 Edition book with eight records, all thanks to his album, Purpose. The young star earned the title for having the most streamed track on Spotify in the space of one week for What Do You Mean? as well as the most streamed album on Spotify in one week for Purpose.

The album was streamed more than 205 million times and What Do You Mean? was streamed more than 30 million times in a week.

Justin also bagged the record for most simultaneous new entries in the Hot 100 by a solo artist and most simultaneous tracks on the US singles chart.

Well done to the Biebs!

DEMI LOVATO IS NOW… A CAB DRIVER?

Relax! The famous singer has not quit her day job just yet, but she did decide to go undercover as a cab driver to surprise a few fans.

Watch the video below and see how they react to seeing their favourite singer in disguise.

JUSTIN BIEBER CANNOT AFFORD A SANDWICH

So the Biebs got treated to a foot-long sandwich, four bottles of milk and some cookies by an adoring fan at a Subway in West Hollywood. This was after the singer’s card was embarrassingly declined! For anyone else this would be a problem but because it’s Justin, it was probably a faulty card, because, come on, Justin Bieber broke?

Yeah, right.

DRAKE AND RIHANNA ARE OFFICIALLY A COUPLE

After Drake’s dedication to the Island beauty at the VMAs, the two have been spotted being all loved-up. There goes all the “are they/aren’t they?” dating speculations. The two are definitely a couple.

To top it all off, Rihanna has just gotten herself a new camo shark tattoo on her left ankle and it has been confirmed that this has significance to both stars. The tattoo is in reference to one of their dates when Drake took RiRi to an aquarium and won her a stuffed shark toy.

How cute!

(Image: Instagram)

SERENA SHAKES IT UP IN AN AD

We all know and love Serena Williams for being one of the most talented female tennis players. But little did we know that Miss Williams has got some serious moves on the dance floor. Check her out in her new commercial as the face of Delta Airlines.

Spoil alert: she twerks!

CHANCE MEETS BEYONCÉ

We always love it when celebrities meet one another for the first time and rapper Chance is giving us everything with his reaction to meeting Beyoncé. The Lemonade singer sneaks up on him during a red-carpet interview and his response is absolutely priceless.

Check it out!

This past Sunday, Beyoncé celebrated her 35^th birthday.

Many of her friends and fans paid homage to the singer with birthday tweets and Instagram shout-outs.

But the big party happened on Monday night after the Made in America Festival when Beyoncé, hubby Jay Z and all her A-list friends gathered to celebrate her birthday, old-school style. Beyoncé hopped on board the “soul train” and, of course, anybody who is anybody was invited to kit up in some groovy gear to dance the night away.

Bey was dressed up in a sparkly one-legged jumpsuit that left little to the imagination and her hair was in a half-up ponytail with curls bursting everywhere.

Her Destiny’s child sisters Michelle Williams and Kelly Rowland were dressed up as disco divas, as was her sister Solange Knowles. Other stars making an appearance were Serena Williams, Usher, Carmelo and LaLa Anthony, Chance The Rapper, Alicia Keys and husband Swizz Beats, Yoga singer Janelle Monae, Chanel Iman, Kendrick Lamar, Sean “Diddy” Combs and Cassie, Joan Smalls and Jourdan Dunn. Even little Blue Ivy was there and took to the mic to she wish her mother a happy birthday, which really got the crowd going.

BTW, how awesome did Jay and Usher look with their big fros and open-chest shirts? We are totally digging the Lennon glasses, too. So groovy!

Check out all the video footage below. It looks like everybody had a great time!

A video posted by Welcome 2 The World of Beyonce (@world.of.beyonce) on Sep 5, 2016 at 9:47pm PDT

We’re taking over Jozi for a week starting tomorrow, Thursday 8 September. Expect a full week of socializing, endless discounted shopping, plus fashion and beauty cues from the best of the best!

To join in on the Grazia relaunch SMS “RELAUNCH”, your full name, your email, the day you would like to attend and the name of the event to 35402.

Alternatively, EMAIL all those details to grazia@graziasa.com.

Here is the full 6-day plan:

If you’ve been keeping up with the 100 layers make-up videos, you would have already seen the 100 layers of foundation and lipstick videos. Just when we thought these couldn’t get any more interesting, we’ve been proven wrong once again. Canadian vlogger Sean Callaghan decided to challenge himself by applying 100 layers of wax to his leg.

We know that one layer of wax is painful enough, so the end result was not a pleasant one – but at least he has a super smooth leg now.

Check out the video below:

For those of you who didn’t know, we’re super excited to share the news that one of our fave soapies is back! Believe it or not, Days of Our Lives airs on SABC3 every night at 11.30pm. The popular series began broadcasting on SABC1 in 1996 and transferred to SABC3 in April 2005. It went off the air in July this year, but was brought back this month due to popular demand.

Let’s take a look at some of our favourite DOOL stars who have featured in other popular TV shows.

1. Ashley Benson , now known as Hannah Marin from her hit TV show Pretty Little Liars started originally as Abigail Deveraux on Days of our Lives.

2. Shelley Hennig who is now known as Malia Tate as from the widely popular show Teen Wolf starred as Stephanie Johnson in Days of our Lives.

3. Eric Winter who has been on many shows over the years such as The Mentalist and Witches of East End starred as Rex Brady on Days of our Lives.

4. Rachel Melvin who played Chelsea Brady on Days of our Lives has been seen in some exciting TV shows, such as her recurring role on MTV’s Award and her upcoming role in Sleepy Hollow.

5. Alison Sweeney who was on Days of our Lives for 21 years is a former host of The Biggest Loser and an authoress of three books. 

//Images: Instagram

Multiple Grammy Award winners Ladysmith Black Mambazo are coming to the City of Gold to celebrate their 56th Anniversary. Having spent years wowing audiences across the globe, the special concerts, to be held at the Joburg Theatre on Saturday 10 and Sunday 11 September, will definitely be one for the books.

With the group performing instantly recognisable hits like Homeless, Diamonds On The Soles Of Her Shoes, Nomathemba, Ofana Naye, Lelilungelo Ngelakho and Phansi Emgodini , it’s an experience not to be missed.

Ladysmith Black Mambazo first came together in the early 1960s under the gentle guidance of sweet-voiced Joseph Shabalala. They released their first album in 1973 and have since produced more than 30 albums, including their highly successful collaboration on Paul Simon’s Graceland in 1986; an album that was one of the best-selling albums of the 80s, globally.

Make sure to get your tickets as soon as possible!

Visit http://www.joburgtheatre.com/one-night-with-ladysmith-black-mambazo/ to book.

AKA TRENDS ON TWITTER… AGAIN

Another day, another AKA Twitter rant. The rapper posted a now-deleted tweet that said he was single. He then deleted it and replaced it with another stating that he was not single. Confusing much?

After sending fans into a frenzy, AKA explained his relationship status with TV personality Bonang Matheba in a series of tweets.

Oh, what drama!

DIE ANTWOORD IS NOT SPLITTING UP

Despite reports to the contrary, Die Antwoord will not be going their separate ways in September 2017.

According to ¥o-Landi Vi$$er, their words were “twisted” and “taken out of context”.

A photo posted by ¥O-LANDI VI$$ER (@prawn_star) on Sep 9, 2016 at 7:01pm PDT

The controversial rap duo will release their fourth album, Mount Ninji and Da Nice Time Kid, later this month. They are also working on two more projects, namely an art exhibition at the Museum of Contemporary Modern Art Africa in Cape Town, and a gangster film called South African Ninja.

JACK PAROW FEELS UNWELCOME AT SABC

Jack Parow expressed his disappointment with how he was treated at the Thank You SABC concert on Saturday.

The rapper took to Facebook to apologise to fans for not performing, and then continued to explain why. According to Parow’s post, he and his team left after more than an hour of trying to get on stage.

“No one knew what was going on and made us feel uncomfortable and unwelcome and basically like we shouldn’t be there,” said the Afrikaans muso.

He ended the post by thanking SABC for all they do for local music, despite his bad experience.

LERATO LOSES OUT BIG THANKS TO SABC

According to Sunday World, Lerato Kganyago was refused permission from her bosses at the SABC to host the ANN7 awards showcase South African of the Year, as well as a new show on Comedy Central. This refusal reportedly lost the TV personality just under R1 million.

The newspaper reported that a source close to the situation revealed the Guptas wanted to pay Lerato close to R500 000 to host the ANN7 show.

The Live AMP host is not the only starlet to feel the pressure from the SABC. Last year, Minnie Dlamini hosted the South African of the Year show and Thando Thabethe was a judge on TLC’s Next Great Presenter Search, however both went through a great struggle to land their gigs.

We hope things gets better for Lerato…

WHERE IS CASTER’S SPORTS CAR?

Days after SA’s golden boy Wayde Van Niekerk was presented with a new Audi R8, South Africans continued to congratulate him, but some also asked one question: would Caster Semenya also be gifted with a sports car?

The question spread throughout the Twittersphere, bringing about several memes and debates, and even got BMW joining in. The company responded to the pleas by confirming that they have been working on partnering up with the gold medallist since August.

Perhaps Caster will be receiving a car after all; she certainly deserves to!

VID OF THE WEEK

Our vid of the week features Queen B, but for once Beyoncé isn’t the star of the show. The leads are dancers John Silver and Ashley Everett.

The mega star paused her Formation tour performance of Single Ladies to allow her back-up dancer John propose to her dance captain Ashley.

“I’m looking for somebody to bring out on stage,” said Bey, before asking to stop the music. Silver then walked on stage, surprising Ashley.

“She’s my queen, so I feel like it’s only right to come out here in my hometown,” Silver said as he knelt down to propose.

The Edward Jones Dome in Missouri reverberated with cheers as the couple kissed after Ashley said yes.

The newly-engaged duo had their moment, and then Bey and her dancers finished off the famed song Single Ladies.

Clearly he liked it, ʼcause he put a ring on it!